3m*t' ScG^me. ili\-inaHUl!imBi33ims^:aifaiiiiir, ms SCARNE'S MAGIC TRICKS by John Scarne Author of Scarne on Dice Scarne on Cards Scarne on Card Tricks. New York Crown Publishers, Inc^ WEHMAN BROS. PUBLISHERS 168 MAIN STREET HACKKNSACK, N. J. mmmKHi COPYRIGHT, 1951, BYJOHNSCARNE Eighth Printing, February, 1969 JLibraryofCongressCatalogCardNumber51-12004 PRINTEDINTHEUNITEDSTATESOFAMERICA mmmi^^^ CONTENTS Publisher's Note 5 52. StringingaRing 7% Foreword 6 53. ChangeforaFive-DollarBill 73 1. TheTalkingMirror 9 54. GhostMatch 74 2. CoinThroughHandkerchief 9 55. ALife-SavingDollar 76 3. SmokingSleeve 11 56. MindOverMatter 77 4. Predicto 12 57. TheCoinVanishes 78 5. RingontheString 13 58. The"Cut-Up"Tie 79 6. TheMagicalShirt 14 59. InYourHat 80 7. ChalkPenetration 15 60. TheAnimatedMatchBox 82 8. TheMagicCalendar 17 61. MagneticHands 83 9. Name,Please! 19 62. Scarne'sCellophaneTear 84 10. CigarettefromNowhere 20 63. DryWater 85 11. FindthePellet 21 64. MultiplyingDimes 85 12. IsHeAHve? 23 65. Scarne's CoinVanish 86 13. TheRopeandBracelet 23 66. TimeMachine 87 14. KeyonaString 24 67. ThroughStickandPin 88 15. TheMagicToothpick 26 68. CrossYourPalm 88 16. Releaso 27 69. TelepathicCoins 89 17. ColorbySenseofTouch 28 70. BreakingaPencilwithaDollar 18. SwallowingaGoldfish 30 Bill 90 19. ExtrasensoryPerception 31 71. ReplacingaButtonwithouta 20. TheMagnetizedKnife 32 Needle 91 21. HoudiniEscapeTrick 33 72. SpotsBeforetheEyes 92 22. SolidThroughSolid 35 73. TheMatchBoxCoinVanish 93 23. TheRisingCigarette 36 74. Scarne'sThinkofaNumber 94 24. TheFlamePrediction 37 75. WhenaBreakIsNotaBreak 95 25. TheDisappearingCoin 39 76. DisobeyingGravity 96 26. InitialinFire 39 77. ACigaretteProduction 97 27. SensitiveFingers 40 78. TheFamous BeltTrick 97 28. TheLiquidTells 41 79. Houdini's CoinVanish 98 29. DrinkingSmoke 42 80. StripTease 99 M 30. LightningAddition 43 81. RingLevitation 100 31. TheSpiritualGlass 44 82. ADrinkontheHouse 101 32. CrossedDigit 45 83. ACigaretteChangestoaDollar 33. TheTrickvSpoon 46 Bill 102 34. TheTalkingCards 47 84. StickThroughHat 103 35. Scarne'sBankNight 48 85. ClassicalRopeTrick 104 36. TheKnottedCoin 52 86. SpintheCoin 105 37. It'sintheAshes 53 87. RollYourOwn 106 38. TheUnitedShreds 54 88. VestThroughCoat 107 39. ThreetoOne 55 89. AnimatedCigarBand 108 40. TheDollarThatWouldn'tBurn 56 90. SahvaryRepair 109 41. DivinationofAge 58 91. TheUnstickablePin 110 42. TrickswithSugar 58 92. FlexiblePencil 111 43. TheReappearingMatchHeads 60 93. TheNon-BurningShoelace 111 44. MagicDates andDays 62 94. TheMatchfromNowhere 112 45. TheSix-CentTrick 63 95. Foiu-th-DimensionalKnot 113 46. TheFamousPenny 64 96. :^opeTliroughtheNeck 114 47. MathematicsPlus 66 97. Cut-Up 115 48. CutandTied 66 98. HeKnowsYourNumber 116 49. TwoMinusTwoEqualsTwo 67 99. Color-ChangingShoelace 117 50. UpinFlames 69 100. ChangingCheckers 118 51. TheKnifeThatDoesn'tCut 70 101. SleightofFoot 119 HHHHH 1-.-^-^-^^ J/H ] i 4 SCARNE'S MAGIC TRICKS 1 102. TransposedColors 120 152. Scarne'sFireTrick 176 103. DeadorAlive? 120 153. Scarne'sMiraclePrediction 177 104. Fromthe SpiritWorld 121 154. MagicalLiquids 179 105. ForaChange 122 155. TelepathyParExcellence 181 106. FingerWaves 122 156. TheDevil's Handkerchief 182 107. SlateTelepathy 123 157. Scarne'sBeanTrick 183 108. ArithmeticalMatches 124 158. TheTurnaboutBill 185 109. GravityDefied 125 159. ColorSeparation 186 110. Watch-It 127 160. Magazine MindReading 187 111. DivinationofaSum 128 161. TestofStrength 188 112. BurningSugar 130 162. SittingTight 189 113. TelephoneMindReadingEx- 163. HinduMagicPapers 190 i periment 131 164. AshesofthePhoenix 192 I 114. TheTwice-LitMatch 131 165. MiracleSlate 193 ] 115. KnotsThatAreNot 132 166. TheFlyingGlass 195 i 116. PendulumofFate 133 167. Behindthe NapkinBall 197 117. MeltingCoin 134 168. TheVanishingFountainPen 198 118. HoppingRubberBand 135 169. TheUncrushableGlass 200 119. TheLiteraryGlasses 1S6 170. TheMeltingHalfDollar 201 120. TheChameleonHandkerchief 137 171. CoinDivination 202 121. ImpossibleEscape 139 172. MagicKeyRings 203 122. TheTravelingSignature 139 173. RopingaHandkerchief 205 123. SourDollar 140 174. TheAstonisWng Match 207 124. ObedientHandkerchief 142 175. ThreeShellGame 208 125. TheElusiveMarble 144 176. BlowingaKnotOutofa 126. ColorDiscernment 145 Handkerchief 210 127. UndertheTable 146 177. HumanMagnetism 211 128. ShirtOff 147 178. TheMysticFortime-Telling 129. TheSelf-TyingHandkerchief 148 Cards 213 130. MagneticBottle 149 179. HypnoticRigidity 216 131. MindReadingDeLuxe 150 180. TheSelf-RestoringRibbon 218 132. PencilandLoop 151 181. SerialReading 220 133. SympatheticTwins 152 182. Matchless Matches 222 ^ 134. Hypno-Magnetism 153 183. AirKnots 224 135. RunawayLoop 155 184. PulseControl 225 I 136. ShiftyNumber 155 185. BlindfoldCigaretteTest 226 137. CoinThroughElbow 157 186. Mnemonics 228 138. MysteriousDollars 157 187. MatchAntics 230 139. TheVentilatedHand 158 188. LiquidSuspension 231 140. TheMoneyTie 160 189. Scarne's ChangingCigar 233 141. TheDivingDoll 161 190. X-RayRopes 236 142. Scarne'sEgyptianBead 191. Squash 238 Mystery 162 192. SmokewithoutFire 239 143. Scarne's MagicBallofYam 163 193. TheFloatingTable 240 144. LooptheLoop 164 194. ReproducingSponges 242 145. Clipped 166 195. HandkerchiefPenetration 243 146. Jack's Beanstalk 167 196. Scarne'sNon-BurningBill 246 147. PaperTears 168 197. Scarne'sTelepathicSugar 148. TheStretchingFinger 170 Cubes 248 149. Scarne's Indestructible Hand- 198. Color-ChangingCube 250 kerchief 171 199. RingAroundthePencil 251 150. TheMagicBirthdaySquare 173 200. TheMagicBag 252 I5L UnderTwoHats 175 201. Scarne'sNamesfromNowhere 255 PUBLISHER'S NOTE The best trick in the book is getting John Scame to write it. By an informal, yet fairly accurate computation, he devoted $68,500 worth of his time to the research, preparation, testing and writing of Scarries Magic Tricks. His fee for a single evening's performance runs as high as $1,000. His fee for a lesson in magic to such notables as the Duke of Windsor, Orson Welles, James Braddock, etc., is $200, and he can J. practicallynamehis ownfigure fortelevision andradio appearances. Looking at it another way, the 200 tricks themselves are worth some- thing like $10,000. Magic experts have been known to sell good tricks for anywhere from $5.00 to $200 each, and there are a number of tricks con- — tained in this book that Scame had refused to sell at—any price. Most of the tricks shown here were never published before certainly not in Scame's streamlined, simplified presentation. Many of the tricks were specially created for this book, and many are adaptations and variations of feature tricks of the world's best magicians, which Scame developed andconvertedforusewithoutsleightofhand. What's the answer? Why should one of the world's greatest magicians reveal other magicians' secrets as well as his own, why should he devote so much of his valuable time to the compilation of a book that would have to sell 250,000 copies before it could begin to be worth his while financially?The answeris prettysimple, afteraU. John Scame is one of theworld's great magicians because he is a great artist, completely devoted to his art of magic. He lives and breathes magic, constantly experimenting, innovating, developing. Perhaps more than anyone else he is aware of the infinite possibilities of mystification. He wants to spread the gospel, he wants you to know. He wouldn't take you yourself as a pupil at $100 an hour, buthe is glad to give you his full complete course in magic for the modest sum you pay for this book. For, through the medium of this book, you are multiplied by thousands and thousands, andthe art ofmagicwill therebywin many new devotees and the greaterrecognitionas apeople'sartthatitdeserves. FOREWORD Ever since my work for the War Department and my appearances be- fore millions of G.I/s during World War II, I have received innumerable requests for a book on general magic without the use of sleight of hand. I discussed the idea with laymen and magicians alike, receiving from all the opinion that such a book has long been needed. Particularly en- thusiastic was my good friend Dr. Ben Braude, prominent New York dentist and clever amateur magician. At this time I want to thank Dr. Braude for the assistancehe gave me in the writing of this book, particu- larly for his tireless "research'' in reminding me of tricks which I had long since forgotten, and forletting meusemany ofhis original "dodges." I also wish to thank U. F. Grant, the clever professional magician, for his contributions. In accordance with thepolicyfollowed in my other books, I assembled the greatestvarietyofmagic effects evercollected for a book of this type. Then camethelongprocess of eliminating themanipulative moves found in the majority of the tricks and replacing them with subtleties and sub- terfuge. In preparing this book I adhered to several cardinal principles, whichI shouldliketo enumerateforyou. First, every trick selected had to be practical, and if a manipulative move was required, a means of eliminating the difficult move and sub- stituting an easy one had to be discovered. Second,I wishedto presentthe greatestvariety oftricks possible, using onlycommon articles thatareeasily obtainable. Third, any special apparatus required for a trick must be simple enough to be made by the average person (and any materials needed for theproduction oftheapparatus mustbe easily obtainable). Fourth, the tricks must be suitable for every conceivable situation. There are tricks in this book that can be performed on a large stage; others are for platform work; many can be done on a night club floor; and still others are suitable for presentation in the parlor. In addition, many of the effects are designed for close-up performance: at the dinner table, in a cocktail lounge, or for demonstrations before a few friends. Fifth, the tricks selectedmustmakeuseofthelarge variety of common objects found in most homes or restaurants. In addition, apparent feats of mind reading, hypnotism, fortune-telling, spiritualism, and psycho- logical experiments have been included. Further, remembering that many good effects have been ruined by 6